Direct lighting fixtures



D 1959 H. A. ODLE DIRECT LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed NOV. 22, 1957 BY 7 I j i )u- 1/ ATTORNEY FhtentedDeclS,

, 2,916,611 v 3 DIRECT LIGHTING FIXTURES Herbert 0.,0dle, Newark, Ohio, assignorto Holophane Company, Inc., NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware I I 1 Applicati'ouNovemb er 22, 1957, Serial No. 698,113

I :3 Claims. 01. 240-48) The present inventionrel ates todirect lighting fixtures and is more particularly directed toward direct lighting fixturesof the type which use an incandescent lamp and have aglass'shade or reflector about thdlampfi'lfhisapplication isa "continuation-impart ofm'y application Serial No. 525,973, filed August 2, 1955, and now abandoned.

It has heretofore been customary to provide glass shades, prismatic reflectors, and the like with annular lips or beads about their upper edges and to use some form of fixed holder with members usually including a pin and two screws adapted to enter into the annular recesses provided by the beads. In fixtures with this type of construction, there is always a hazard that the screws may be forced in too tightly and crack or damage the shade.

,In another known type of lighting fixture, a metal ring is fastened to the glass shade and screws in a fixed holder surrounding the metal ring are screwed in until they strike the metal ring. This construction as well as the one described above have the following serious fault. If the pressure of screws on the metal ring or the glass flange is not great enough at any time, it is quite likely that the screws will be loosened by vibration and back up enough to let go of the glass globe which they are intended to hold up.

This possibility is positively avoided by the present invention, the fixed hanger carries the screws and fixed pin spaced 120 apart in the usual manner, and the detachable shade unit is provided with an annular metal ring with upper and lower collars which form an outwardly opening annular channel into which the screws and pin enter.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, an embodiment in which the invention may take form, together with modifications thereof, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view with parts in elevation showing a suspended type direct lighting fixture;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view with parts in elevation, showing a surface attached type of direct lighting fixture;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the shade supporting ring taken in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure l; and

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged views of details, of construction.

Figure 1 shows a hickey 10, nipple 11, lock nut 12, swivel 13, canopy 14 and canopy ring 15. Swivel 13 supports the upper end of the suspension rod 16. This rod is secured to spacer 17 which carries lamp socket 18. The spacer and socket are surrounded by a socket cover 19. Near the lower edge 20 of the socket cover are eyelets 21 adapted to receive screws 22. Two screws are usually employed and a fixed pin 23.

'The reflector shown herein is annularand downwardly and outwardly flaring with its" upper end 25 slightly smaller indiameter than the mouth 20 of the socket cover and abuts the socket cover. The lower edge of the reflector R is indicated at 26. The bottom of the reflector R is closed by an annular light-transmitting member 27 and a removable disk 28. Y I 1 v i f 'An annular ringlike member designated generally by the reference character 30, is placed-on top of the reflector or shade R. This annular member 30 is made of sheet metal and has a lower element 31 adapted to rest on the upper end of the shade or reflector R and an upper member 32 spaced from it an amount suflicient to form anoutwardly opening channel adapted to receive the screws 22 and the pin 23 above referred to. The length of the screws is made short enough, relative to the recess orzchannel between the two metal collars, so that the .innerends'of the screws do not bear against the collars. Instead, the screws are screwed home tight against the fixed'.-hanger"and thus are positively secured and prevented from backing up through vibration, thus providing a definitely greater safety of suspension of the glass shade. Members 31 and 32 are welded together as indicated by the weld marks 33. One of these sheet metal members has a dependent skirt portion 34 through which the neck of the incandescent lamp passes. The metal ringlike element 30 and the bottom closure element 27 are connected together by tie rods or spokes 35. As here shown, the upper ends of these tie rods pass through openings 36 in the skirt 34 of the ringlike member 30 and have heads 37. The lower ends of the tie rods are threaded as indicated at 38 and receive nuts 39. The bottom member 27 has holes 40 through which the lower threaded ends of the spokes pass. The nuts 39 pass through plastic buttons 41 and eyelets 41a. In the preferred form of construction, the reflector has a lower portion 42 provided with vertical light reflecting ribs 43 and an upper narrow portion 49 provided with internal light lowering prisms 45 and vertical light diffusing flutes 46. The portion 42 of the reflector is preferably covered with a diffusing dome or light shield 50 made of fibre glass or similar material so as to reduce the brightness of the outer surface of the fixture.

The glass reflector, the bottom member 27 and the upper metal ring 30 are preferably secured together at the factory by means of the spokes or rods 35 so as to provide a completely assembled unit. The suspension, lamp socket and socket cover are hung in the usual way after which the heavy reflector unit can be readily secured in place by passing the screws 22 into the channel formed by the members 31 and 32. Screws 22 are of such a length that they extend sufliciently into the channel between annular members 31 and 32 and yet can be screwed in until their heads tightly engage eyelet 21 in socket cover 19. Since set screws 22 are screwed in all the way they provide a positive fastening which is very secure against loosening by vibration.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 2, the canopy 30, socket cover 51 and socket 52 form a preassembled unit adapted to be secured to the usual outlet box-carried strap 53 by screws 54 and nuts 55.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A lighting fixture comprising a hanger including a pendant lamp socket adapted to carry a pendant incandescent lamp, a downwardly opening socket cover fastened to and surrounding the socket and screws extending radially inwardly near the mouth of'the socket cover;

an annular ring adapted to encircle the neck of the lamp and to be received in the mouth of the socket cover, the ring having two vertically spaced elements extending outwardly therefrom to the vicinity of the socket cover, the lower one of said elements having its outermost portion within the socket cover and above therlower edge thereof, said elements forming an annular outwardly .opening channel opposite the screws and into which the: screws extend, said channel having a suflicient radial depth relative to the length of the screws to permit tightening the screws until the heads of the screws abut the socket cover, and a shade having an upper edge of a diameter such as to fit within the lower edge of the socket cover and adjacent the lower one ofosaid spaced elements.

2. The combination claimed in, claim 1, wherein the ring is formed of two annular sheet metal members welded together, one portion of said. channel has a width just sufficient to receive said screws and said channel is flared outwardly from said portion thereof.

3. A lighting fixture formed of two separable units, one unit being normally fixedly supported and having a downwardly opening lamp socket and a downwardly opening annular socket cover fastened to the socket and provided with radialscrews near its mouth, the other 'unit including an annular downwardly and outwardly flaring, light transmitting member whose upper end is of substantially the diameter of the mouth of the socket cover, and in contact with the mouth of the socket cover, a ring within and surrounded by the light transmitting member and having an annular outwardly opening channel bearing on the upper end of the light transmitting member and located above the light transmitting member and of a size to enter the socket cover and be located within and above the moutlr'thereof through the outward open side thereof and receive the screws, a member bearing against the bottom of the annular light transmitting member, and spokes connecting the last mentioned member and the ring, said channel having a suflicientradial depth relative to the length of the screws to permit the heads of the screws to abut the socket cover.

References Cited in, the file of, this patent UNITED STATES .PATENTS 713,458 Lansingh Nov. 11, 1902 2,246,320 Rolph June 17, i941 

